Radiotherapy campaign may affect FF vote

Local election area profile: Waterford councils Ever since Ferrybank couple Sheila and Gerry McGrath put a poster in the window of their home last month declaring, "No Radiotherapy, No Votes", similar signs have started sprouting up in houses right across the city.

What was initially a personal protest over the lack of cancer treatment facilities has turned into a lightning rod issue, which political parties say is repeatedly being brought up on the doorsteps.

Just what effect this will have on the balance of power in both Waterford City Council and, to a lesser extent, in Waterford County Council is one of the big questions to be answered in the local election.

After promising radiotherapy facilities in the run-up to the last general election, and with no sign of them arriving, Fianna Fáil clearly has the most cause for concern.

The party will be doing well to hold on to its four seats in the city and is bracing itself for potential losses in the county, where it currently holds 11 seats, just one short of an overall majority.

The Dungarvan and Kilmacthomas electoral wards illustrate the problems faced by Fianna Fáil.

The party won three seats compared to Fine Gael's two in Dungarvan in the 1999 elections, even though it was outpolled by Fine Gael. However, this time around a better-organised Fine Gael machine is looking to pick up this seat.

Similarly, in Kilmacthomas, Fine Gael is on the hunt for a seat after learning from its mistake last time when it split its vote by fielding two candidates, and failed to take a single seat. This time it is standing just one candidate, Liam Brazil, who is hoping to occupy one of Fianna Fáil's two seats.

Whether the radiotherapy issue will result in any clear benefit to candidates in the main Opposition parties is still in question, particularly given that there has been talk in the campaign of boycotting the election altogether.

Nonetheless, the Fine Gael camp is quietly optimistic and officials say they can pick up two or three seats.

Strangely, the dismissal of Fine Gael's justice spokesman, John Deasy, for flouting the smoking ban appears to have benefited the party in mostly working-class areas, according to party officials. This is not an area where the party has attracted traditional support.

Candidates have been keen to bring Mr Deasy with them on the campaign trail in the city where support for the outspoken deputy appears to have grown, following his entanglement with the anti-smoking law.

Overall, the party is hopeful of picking up two, maybe even three, seats in places where poor vote-management let it down badly last time.

That said, it will have to fight hard to hold on to its existing seats in areas such as Suir and Lismore, particularly in the latter area following the absence of poll-topper Willie McDonnell.

Labour also have identified a number of wards where they are likely to pick up seats, particularly in ward two of the city, where Jack Walsh narrowly missed out on a seat in the 1999 election.

With much talk of a big Sinn Féin performance nationally, the party is very likely to gain its first seat in the city, thanks to the high profile and hard work of its MEP candidate, David Cullinane.

However, Sinn Féin is in some disarray, with two candidates deciding to pull out of the local election campaign.

The Workers' Party also faces a battle to maintain its strong presence in Waterford city. While Cllr John Halligan's seat looks safe, the party will have to struggle to hold on to its second city seat.

Perhaps most alarmed, however, are the Progressive Democrats, who have just one sitting councillor in the city and county.

Although Cllr Oliver Clery benefited from a high profile as mayor of Waterford between June 2002 and June 2003, he is standing in one of the most tightly contested wards of Waterford city, ward two.

With a host of strong vote getters, including Cllr Davy Daniels (Independent), Tom Cunningham (Fine Gael), Michael Ivory (Fianna Fáil) and Jack Welsh (Fianna Fáil), he could well be fighting for one of the last seats in the area.